What is the National Deer Alliance?
The National Deer Alliance will be a unified group of deer hunters in North America
Today marks a big day for American deer hunters. Whether you’re a whitetail hunter in the midwest, black tail hunter out west or just like to find sheds, today is a momentous day. The Quality Deer Management Association convention is taking place today in Athens, GA and deer hunters there will learn about the creation of a new organization that will benefit all deer hunters across North America- the National Deer Alliance. What is the National Deer Alliance? We can help to answer that question.
The National Deer Alliance has been in the works for what you could say is decades, or you could say that it is brand new, it just depends on how you look at it. The alliance is essentially an NRA for deer hunters. It represents the first time in history that a single coalition is representing a critical mass of hunters. This conservation group is built for the digital age and it costs absolutely nothing to join. Once you join, which you can do here, you are put into electronic touch with a large group of people that have the same questions, thoughts and beliefs as you when it comes to deer hunting.
The tag line of the National Deer Alliance (NDA) puts the message very clearly: “The Voice of the Deer Hunter.”
What’s the Purpose of the National Deer Alliance?
There has never been a national organization for deer hunters since the hunting of this animal has reached a modern age. There are conservation groups that are devoted to turkeys, waterfowl, elk and sheep, but deer hunters do not have a group like this. A group of this size and caliber can work with other hunters and law makers to help promote the sport and also advocate for more areas to hunt.
Deer hunting’s popularity has exploded in the last several decades. Whitetails are the single most pursued and advocated game animal in the country. There are 11 million deer hunters and only 14 million total US hunters. Almost everyone hunts deer.
The last few years however have shown that there are cracks in this great resource. Whether it be EHD, CWD, more deer farms, habitat loss and the erosion of the animals, whitetail deer hunting is in danger. There needed to be a large group that could advocate for this resource as one unified voice and that is the purpose of the National Deer Alliance.
How did the NDA begin?
Hunters have been calling for a unified deer hunting advocacy group for a long time, as have many large publications. This spring at the first ever National Whitetail Summit, sponsored by the QDMA, the group idea began. The QDMA has really put a lot of effort into this group and they have helped a lot, but the NDA is not a subsidiary of the QDMA.
Executive director of the NDA, Craig Dougherty, said that the NDA will be a stand alone entity that may get some early administrative support from the QDMA.
“Simply put, if you are a deer hunter, you should be an NDA member,” says Dougherty. “With all of the stuff going on in the deer world these days, decisions are being made on a daily basis which affect not only deer but deer hunters as well. Hunters need to have a seat at the table.”
The main goal of the NDA is to establish a large group of hunters that are united to help make deer hunting better.
“If only 10 percent of deer hunters sign up as NDA members, we will be over one million strong,” says Dougherty. “That’s a pretty big gorilla to be sitting at the decision-making table.”
How Do I Join the National Deer Alliance?
Joining the NDA is free and easy. It is an email connected network of hunters. Log on to www.nationaldeeralliance.com and submit your name, email address and zip code and they will send you a confirmation email and you’re in.
Once you join, you will get the latest information of cutting-edge deer research, deer hunting tips and strategies, hunting opportunities and information on how to get involved in issues that help out the sport.
If you are interested in deer hunting, then please, join the National Deer Alliance.
